DEUTSCH

 

The Original Tradition
of the
Universal Cosmic Mother

"Mother (Cosmic Womb) and Sons"

 

 

THE TRUTH

Investigation into the Ultimate Reality
within the various religions.
Mainstream interpretations as they are perceived by the majority of people.
Quotations from generally accepted sources like Wikipedia and others.
To show the limitations e.g. ignorance of common understanding
Finally emphasis on the Original Tradition
It truly is the beginning of a New Era!

JUDAISM

"A being that exists beyond time doesn't come from anywhere. He has always existed. If something created God, God would have a beginning and He'd be finite, not infinite. Beyond time means having no beginning and no end. Eternal. It means there is nothing that exists before God. 'Before' is a time-bound quality that applies only to finite entities. Therefore God is called "the First Cause" - the Prime Mover - the dimension that has no other dimension preceding it".

"Abraham discovers the infinite source of existence, an Eternal Being, unhindered by time and space. "Every Jew must believe and know that there exists a First Being, without beginning or end, who brought all things into existence and continues to sustain them. This Being is God." [Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, in his 18th century work, The Way of God)"

CHRISTIANITY

"In Christianity, the supreme creator and ruler of the universe. The Christian religion, like Judaism and Islam, maintains that there is only one God (monotheism), who is active in and concerned about the world. These religions are also patriarchal (male-dominated), which has resulted in God being described as ‘He’. Recently, some theologians have argued that this ignores the positive female characteristics of the Godhead in favour of masculine qualities"

"The true nature of God is beyond human experience and understanding. However, Christians believe God is infinite (without beginning or end), omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), benevolent (all-loving), eternal, unchanging, holy, perfect, and personal. The Christian idea of God is shown in the belief of the Trinity. God is One, but with three aspects: God the Father, the creator, ruler, and sustainer of all life, and divine judge; God the Son, who is Jesus, God made incarnate and saviour of humanity; and the Holy Spirit, who is God working in the world".

GNOSIS

"In the Gnostic view, there is a true, ultimate and transcendent God, who is beyond all created universes and who never created anything in the sense in which the word “create” is ordinarily understood. While this True God did not fashion or create anything, He (or, It) “emanated” or brought forth from within Himself the substance of all there is in all the worlds, visible and invisible. In a certain sense, it may therefore be true to say that all is God, for all consists of the substance of God. By the same token, it must also be recognized that many portions of the original divine essence have been projected so far from their source that they underwent unwholesome changes in the process. To worship the cosmos, or nature, or embodied creatures is thus tantamount to worshipping alienated and corrupt portions of the emanated divine essence".

"The basic Gnostic myth has many variations, but all of these refer to Aeons, intermediate deific beings who exist between the ultimate, True God and ourselves. They, together with the True God, comprise the realm of Fullness (Pleroma) wherein the potency of divinity operates fully. The Fullness stands in contrast to our existential state, which in comparison may be called emptiness".

"One of the aeonial beings who bears the name Sophia (“Wisdom”) is of great importance to the Gnostic world view. In the course of her journeyings, Sophia came to emanate from her own being a flawed consciousness, a being who became the creator of the material and psychic cosmos, all of which he created in the image of his own flaw. This being, unaware of his origins, imagined himself to be the ultimate and absolute God. Since he took the already existing divine essence and fashioned it into various forms, he is also called the Demiurgos or “half-maker” There is an authentic half, a true deific component within creation, but it is not recognized by the half-maker and by his cosmic minions, the Archons or “rulers”.

ISLAM

"In Islamic theology God (Arabic: Allah) is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular (tawhid). God is unique (wahid) and inherently One (ahad), all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic teachings, God exists without a place. According to the Qur'an, "No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. God is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things" (Qur'an 6:103)".

"According to Islam there are 99 Names of God (al-asma al-husna lit. meaning: "The best names") each of which evoke a distinct attribute of God. All these names refer to Allah, the supreme and all-comprehensive divine name. Among the 99 names of God, the most famous and most frequent of these names are "the Compassionate" (al-rahman) and "the Merciful" (al-rahim)".

"Creation and ordering of the universe is seen as an act of prime mercy for which all creatures sing God's glories and bear witness to God's unity and lordship. God responds to those in need or distress whenever they call. Above all, God guides humanity to the right way, “the holy ways.”

"Islam teaches that God, as referenced in the Qur'an, is the only God and the same God worshipped by members of other Abrahamic religions such as Christianity and Judaism".

EXCURSION: THE DEVIL

"The Devil  (Greek: diábolos = slanderer' or 'accuser' is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly. It ranges from being an effective opposite force to the creator god at one extreme, where both are locked in an eons long holy war for human souls on what may seem even terms (to the point of dualism), to being just a comical figure of fun or even an abstract aspect of the individual human condition at the other".

"Whilst mainstream Judaism contains no overt concept of a devil,Christianity and Islam have variously regarded the Devil as a rebellious fallen angel or demon that tempts humans to sin, if not commit evil deeds himself. In these religions - particularly during periods of division or external threat - the Devil has assumed more of a dualistic status commonly associated with heretics, infidels and other unbelievers. As such, the Devil is seen as an allegory that represents a crisis of faith, individualism, free will, wisdom and enlightenment".

"In mainstream Christianity, God and the Devil are usually portrayed as fighting over the souls of humans, with the Devil seeking to lure people away from God and into Hell. The Devil commands a force of evil spirits, commonly known as demons. The Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) describes the Adversary (Ha- satan) as an angel who instigates tests upon humankind. Many other religions have a trickster or tempter figure that is similar to the Devil. Modern conceptions of the Devil include the concept that it symbolizes humans' own lower nature or sinfulness".

HINDUISM

"For Hindus God, as is, is beyond any attributes of form, color, shapes ... That is, God does not have any specific form or name. In this state God is referred to as nirguNa brahman (attributeless god). However God takes forms as perceived by humans and this perceived form is called saguNa brahman (god with (good) attributes). These forms could range from calm to fierce to yogic (1). Each form has its significance. For example when one is depressed and sees the form of God Strong and Powerful, the seeker feels the moral boost that God would definitely be the support for the right thing. Similarly when in an auspicious ceremony would like the God to be the calm provider of boons. In a spiritually elevated state, the choice would be the yogic form of God. The forms provide a basis for the Hindu worshipper to easily pursue the otherwise incomprehensible Supreme. So Hinduism supports both form as well as formless worship of the God. Whether one worships in saguNa or nirguNa way, it is ultimately the same God".

"God is one who generates(G), observes(O) and Destroys(D) , or the one from whom, every thing happens and cause of all change. But if we go in depth of Hinduism, a new concept occurs. Under Vaishnavism, Sri Vishnu is supreme and for Shaivism, Shiva is God but the both of two suggests Radha and Shakthi are the actual powers behind Krishna and Shiva respectively. On the other hand Shaktas think that Goddess Adi parashakti is only generator, preserver and destroyer and known as dynamic essence of ultimate reality, OM, then one who is dimensionless, nirguna, who is neither male nor female, and is totally a static consciousness. But Devi-Bhagvata Purana suggests that the ultimate reality, OM always appears in front of us in the form of Female or known as Shakti, the cause of all change and dynamic herself, more over she actually performs the task of trimurti and trimurti are just referred as machines. So this concept suggests that GOD as mother is prevalent in Hinduism".

TAOISM

"The core of Daoism is, of course, Dao ( the Way), which is beyond description. It is said that Dao is the origin of the universe, the basis of all existing things, the law governing their development and change, and the ultimate force of Daoism. Taoism (also spelled Daoism) refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao, which is the mechanism of everything that exists. The word "Tao" (or "Dao", depending on the romanization scheme) is usually translated as "way", "path" or "principle", although the word also means "nature" as in the nature of all things as well as the natural world. Taoism had not only a profound influence on the culture of China, but also on neighboring countries. While the philosophical Taoism is not institutionalized, the religious Taoism is institutionalized and present in multiple countries. Taoist philosophy is deeply rooted in contemporary China, and is an unavoidable part of modern Chinese life".

"Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility, while Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos; health and longvity; and wu wei (action through inaction). Harmony with the universe, or the source thereof (Tao), is the intended result of many Taoist rules and practices".

"Reverence for ancestor spirits andimmortals is common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of the folk religion, which some professional Taoists view as debased.Chinese alchemy, atrology, cuisine, several Chinese martial arts, traditional Chinese medicine, feng shui and many styles of qigong have been intertwined with Taoism throughout history".

SHINTO

"Shinto teaches that everything contains a kami, "spiritual essence", commonly translated as god or spirit. Shinto's spirits are collectively called yaoyorozu no kami (?), an expression literally meaning "eight million kami", but interpreted as meaning "myriad", although it can be translated as "many Kami". There is a phonetic variation kamu and a similar word among Ainu: kamui. There is an analog "mi-koto".

"Kami are a difficult concept to translate as there is no direct similar construct in English. Kami is generally accepted to describe the innate supernatural force that is above the actions of man, the realm of the sacred, and is inclusive of gods, spirit figures, and human ancestors. All mythological creatures of the Japanese cultural tradition, of the Buddhistic tradition, Christian God, Hindu Gods, Allah, various angels and demons of all faiths among others are considered Kami for the purpose of Shinto faith".

"The kami reside in all things, but certain places are designated for the interface of people and kami (the common world and the sacred): sacred nature, shrines, and kamidana. There are natural places considered to have an unusually sacred spirit about them, and are objects of worship. They are frequently mountains, trees, unusual rocks, rivers, waterfalls, and other natural edifices. In most cases they are on or near a shrine grounds. The shrine is a building built in which to house the kami, with a separation from the "ordinary" world through sacred space with defined features based on the age and lineage of the shrine. The kamidana is a home shrine (placed on a wall in the home) that is a "kami residence" that acts as a substitute for a large shrine on a daily basis. In each case the object of worship is considered a sacred space inside which the kami spirit actually dwells, being treated with the utmost respect and deference".

BUDDHISM

"The non adherence to the notion of a omnipotent creator deity or a prime mover is seen by many as a key distinction between Buddhism and other religions. In Buddhism the sole aim of spiritual practice is the complete alleviation of stress in samsara, called nirvana. The Buddha neither denies nor accepts a creator, denies endorsing any views on creation and states that questions on the origin of the world are worthless".

"Some teachers tell students beginning Buddhist meditation that the notion of divinity is not incompatible with Buddhism, but dogmatic beliefs in a Supreme God are considered to pose a hindrance to the attainment of nirvana, the highest goal of Buddhist practice. Despite this apparent non- theism, Buddhists consider veneration of the Noble ones very important although the two main traditions of Buddhism differ mildly in their reverential attitudes. While Theravada Buddhism view the Buddha as a human being who attained nirvana or Buddhahood, through human efforts, some Mahayana Buddhists consider him an embodiment of the cosmic Dharmakaya, born for the benefit of others, and not merely a human being. In addition, some Mahayana Buddhists worship their chief Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and hope to embody him".

"Buddhists accept the existence of beings in higher realms, known as devas, but they, like humans, are said to be suffering in samsara, and are not necessarily wiser than us. In fact the Buddha is often portrayed as a teacher of the gods, and superior to them. Despite this there are believed to be enlightened Devas on the path of Buddhahood".

MANICHEISM

"Manichaeism was one of the major Iranian Gnostic Religions, originating in Sassanid Persia. Although most of the original writings of the founding prophet Mani (in Latin: Manichaeus or Manes) (c. 216–276 AD) have been lost, numerous translations and fragmentary texts have survived. Manichaeism taught an elaborate cosmology describing the struggle between a good, spiritual world of light, and an evil, material world of darkness. Through an ongoing process which takes place in human history, light is gradually removed from the world of matter and returned to the world of light from which it came. Its beliefs, based on local Mesopotamian gnostic and religious movements, contained elements of Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Buddhism".

EXCURSION: HELL OR UNDERWORLD

"Hell or Underworld is an allegory for the very real Cosmic Destructive Force. In mythology MotherGoddess Inanna descended into "Hell" in order to save Her beloved Dumuzi. Persepone did the same for Her Daughter Kore. Here Hell symbolizes the winter season in which everything "dies". This natural/spiritual phenomenon can be experienced, like in my case*. However, in condemning the Old Mother Religion, where this was a fully accepted experience, patriarchal religions used it as a terror weapon for deterrence and intimidation up to this very day! It is a means to keep people meak. And this not only can be applied to Christianity. Also Buddhist monks (e.g. in rural areas in Asia) threaten people with Hell. A very common practice. The first concern thus is to expose the manipulation of this Natural Phenomenon. In ordere to illustrate how "Hell" wasa treated by religions I'll give you a short overview."

"In ancient Egypt at death a person faced judgement. If found guilty he or she was thrown to a "devourer", first subjected to terrifying punishment and then annihilated. These depicttions of punishment may have influenced medieval percepttions of inferno in hell via early Christian and Coptic texts. In Greece the Hades was a deep, gloomy place, a pit or abyss unsed as a dungeon of torment and suffering. Judaism does not have a specific doctrine about afterlife in general and hell in particular. Yahweh used to punish people while being on earth. In this regard he was merciless, merciless destroying people who did "not obey him". The suspician is that he wanted to compete with the Destructive Aspect of the Original Great Mother. However "Destruction" as part of Natural Law is something totally different from revenge in the hands of a wrathful "God".

"Who would think that "Hell" doesn't play a role in Christianity anymore, here a quotation from an actual Roman.Catholic website  "Our creed says that there is indeed a permanent state of God's punishment of angels and humans, called Hell. This type of punishment is eternal. The chosen ones go with Christ to Eternal Glory, while the damned go with the Devil into eternal damnation. Hasn't Christ himself said: "Downfall, eternal torture, to be thrown into Darkness (...), with uninterrupted exposure to flames and horror?" Exclaiming "Stop committing sin, because Hell is irreversible, repent so that you may be saved" No comments! Islam also give lively accounts of fiery Hell in which sinners are condemned, as contrasted to the garden-like Paradise enjoyed by righteous believers. The Baha'i faith describe closeness to God to be heaven, and conversely, remoteness from God is hell, which makes sense. Buddha teaches about hell in vivid detail. These hells or Naraka are places of "endless suffering". However, like all realms of rebirth (....), rebirth in the Hell realms is not permanent, through suffering can persist for eons before being reborn again."

"Hinduism originally didn't have a concept of Hell. However, later it was (is) believed that people who commit sins go to Hell and have to go through punishments like dipping in boiling oil, burning in fire, torture through various weapons etc. This is the moment to ask yourself if the Cosmic Mother, when She would still be "in command" would have had similar plans with (wo)mankind. There is only one conclusion: all these horrors come from sick patriarchal minds who are obsessed by power over people. To make it complete Jainism does accept Naraka (Hell) as a realm of existence having great suffering. The categories of people destined to go there are those who have killed with great passion, with excessive attachment to things, and those who have led a vowless and unrestrained life. Last but not least: ancient Taoism had NO concept of Hell. Only after adopting ideas from e.g. Buddhism popular beliefs endows a Taoist Hell where sin is punished in a variety of horrible ways."

* See "Threefold Realization"

ZOROASTRIANISM

"Zoroastrianism or Mazdaism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra) and was formerly among the world's largest religions. It was probably founded some time before the 6th century BCE in Greater Iran".

"In Zoroastrianism, the Creator Ahura Mazda is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Zoroastrianism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (druj) trying to destroy the creation of Mazda, and good trying to sustain it. Mazda is not immanent in the world, and His creation is represented by the Amesha Spentas (arch-angels) and the host of other Yazatas (angels), through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Mazda is ultimately directed. The most important texts of the religion are those of the Avesta, of which a significant portion has been lost, and mostly only the liturgies of which have survived. The lost portions are known of only through references and brief quotations in the later works, primarily from the 9th to 11th centuries".

JAINISM

"Jainism rejects the idea of any creator, mentor or destroyer God. If godliness is defined as the state of having freed one's soul from karmas and the attainment of enlightenment and a God as one who exists in such a state, then those who have achieved such a state can be termed gods. Thus, Mahavira was God but he was not the only God, there were many other Gods too. However, the quality of godliness is one and the same in all of them. Thus, Jainism can be defined as polytheist, monotheist, nontheist and atheist varyingly, depending on one's definition of God".

"Godliness can be defined as the inherent quality of any soul characterizing infinite bliss, infinite power, infinite knowledge and infinite peace. However, these qualities of a soul are subdued due to Karmas of the soul. One who achieves this state of soul through right belief, right knowledge and right conduct can be termed as God. This perfection of soul is called Kaivalya or Bodhi. A God thus becomes a liberated soul- liberated of miseries, cycles of rebirth, world, Karmas and finally liberated of body as well. This is called Nirvana or Moksha".

"Gods can be thus categorized into embodied gods also known as Tirthankaras and Arihantas or ordinary Kevalin, and non-embodied formless gods who are called Siddhas. Jainism considers the Devis and Devas to be demi-goddesses and demi-gods who dwell in heavens owing to meritorious deeds in their past lives. These souls are in heavens for a fixed lifespan and even they have to undergo reincarnation as humans to achieve liberation".

BAHA'I

"The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence) as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names-Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma-nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being".

THEOSOPHY

"When we lay down the existence of God as the first and greatest of our principles, it becomes necessary for us to define the sense in which we employ that much-abused, yet mighty word. We try to redeem it from the narrow limits imposed on it by the ignorance of undeveloped men, and to restore to it the splendid conception—splendid, though infinitely below the reality—given to it by the founders of religions. And we distinguish between God as the Infinite Existence, and the manifestation of this Supreme Existence as a revealed God, evolving and guiding a universe. Only to this limited manifestation should the term “a personal God” be applied. God in Himself is beyond the bounds of personality, is “in all and through all”; and indeed is all; and of the Infinite, the Absolute, the All, we can only say “He is”.

"For all practical purposes we need not go further than that marvellous and glorious manifestation of Him (a little less entirely beyond our comprehension) the great Guiding Force or Deity of our own solar system, whom philosophers have called the Logos. Of him is true all that we have ever heard predicated of God—all that is good, that is—not the blasphemous conceptions sometimes put forward, ascribing to Him human vices. But all that has ever been said of the love, the wisdom, the power, the patience and compassion, the omniscience, the omnipresence, the omnipotence—all of this, and much more, is true of the Logos of our system. Verily “in Him we live and move and have our being”, not as a poetical expression, but (strange as it may seem) as a definite scientific fact; and so when we speak of the Deity our first thought is naturally of the Logos".

ANTHROPOSOPHY

"Steiner describes Christ's being and mission on earth as having a central place in human evolution: To comprehend the central role of the Christ in Steiner's spiritual philosophy it is necessary to understand the esotheric cosmology that he espoused. In Steiner's theory of cosmic evolution, the incremental spiritual development of the human form is interwoven and inseparable from the cosmological development of the universe. This evolution and gradual descent into matter occurs over vast cosmic periods, or yugas. The Christ being brings the impulse which enables humanity's conscious ascent back into the spiritual worlds".

"The being of Christ is central to all religions, though called by different names by each. Every religion is valid and true for the time and cultural context in which it was born. Historical forms of Christianity need to be transformed considerably in our times in order to meet the on-going evolution of humanity".

"It is "the being" that unifies all religions — and not a particular religious faith — that Steiner saw as the central force in human evolution. He understood Christ's incarnation as a historical reality, and a pivotal point in human history, however. The "Christ Being" is for Steiner not only the Redeemer of the Fall from Paradise, but also the unique pivot and meaning of earth's "evolutionary" processes and of all human history. The essence of being "Christian"" is, for Steiner, a search for balance between polarizing extremes but above all the ability to manifest love in freedom".

COMMENTS

Judaism worships Jahweh as the Only God. Moreover, God "has created the world out of nothingness". Jewish belief is therefore strictly monotheistic and patriarchal. In fact it was the (political!) necessity for Josua (7th BCE) to create "One God, One People and One King". It has led to exclusivity and intolerance. In Gnostic treatises this exclusivity to be the "only God" is already doubted upon. There Jahweh boasts that there is "no other than him", whereupon the "Mother!" exclaims "that's a lie, Jahweh". Additionally, it is increasingly recognized that Jahweh in the early days of his career had a consort: Asherah. Still Jeremiah (44) reports of the women of Jersusalem, who refused to accept the "words of the Lord". Instead they insist offering to the "Queen of Heaven". In the Kaballah God is considered "Nothingness", while the Feminine Side of God is also emphasized. So, eventually, Judaism may well tend to accept our deepest insight: "God didn't create the world out of nothingness, but Nothingness (the Cosmic Womb...) is giving birth to both God and the universe, the latter continuously returning to their Origin"

Christianity is among the world religions that most manipulated its God-concept and subsequent teachings. The reason was (is) political. It served the ambition of a Church that aimed/aims at world dominance. Its God-concept was stolen from Judaism, its Mother of God idea was imitated from the ancient MotherGoddess Religion, including that of Her "dying and resurrecting" Son. There is very little originality in Christianity. It was due to its alliance with the ruling elite, that it could maintain its power position for so long. Without the former it would have collapsed already many centuries ago. "Ruling through the Sword and the Word", together with incessant indoctrination through sin, fear and guilt, these are the foundations of Christianity. Logically, nowadays, in order to survive "secularism" the Church shows a "tolerant" face. It is part of its strategy, though. With regard to its key dogma - the Trinity - the unity of "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" - the true Trinity is that of "Cosmic Mother, with God as Her first emanation (Her Lightbody), and the universe as Her Material Body (second emanation).

Although Gnosis emphasizes experience rather than dogma's, eventually its insights didn't go deep enough. It postulated Sophia as "consort of God", very similar to Shakti in Hinduism (from which it probably copied the concept). The Reality, however, is that Sphia didn't "emanate" from God, but the other way round: God emanated from Sophia. Until this very day this isn't understood even by feminist writers. It was a man H.Eberz who got it right. He wrote a book "Sophia and Her Logos". Beautiful, isn't it? It is one of the rare exapmples of Truth. When reading it joy comes up, truly a sign of recognition! By the way, the Gnostic concept of the world "emanating" from the Godhead comes very close to the Reality of the Mother, giving birth to both God and the universe.

Few people will know, that the religion considered to be most patriarchal - Islam - actually has a very deep rooted feminine core. It is one of the best hidden secrets. The reasons are manifold. Obviously, ruling clerics have no interest to undermine their position by revealing the feminine character of their religion. Nevertheless some brave hearts are trying to do just that*. It all starts with the description of the Essence of Allah. As you know the core Name of Allah is al-Rahman, al-Rahim. It is the most important Name among the other 99 Names attributed to Allah. The common translation is "Allah the Merciful e.g. the Mercy-Giver". Literally, however, "rahman" means "womb". This puts everything in the right perspective. Allah proves to be both the Source of Mercy as well as Mercy itself. The former is equal to the unmanifest formless Essence, while the latter symbolizes His (Her!) Being, His active, outgoing, creative outpouring. It is easily to understand, that the Essence corresponds with the Eternal Feminine Aspect of Allah, while His (Her!) creative "part" can be called Masculine. It is emphasized by the word for Divine Essence: al-Dhat, which is also feminine. The similarity with our own position is striking. The Essence as the Womb from which the Divine is evolving.

For more, see "Mother and Sons"

To Hinduism the Trimurti - Brahma ("Creation"), Vishnu ("Preservation") and Shiva ("Destruction") - is the Ultimate. In Reality, however, these Gods are symbolizing the Three Cosmic Forces of the Original Mother. In Her "creation, preservation and rebirth" were part of One Unidivided Power. Patriarchal reversal made Her a consort of the Gods ("Shakti") while in Reality the Gods are Her Sons. This pattern can be observed with all patriarchal religions. Two "popular" stategies can be distinguished. One is demonizing the Mother. Often She has to play the role of Guardian to the Gods and their temples. In India this has led to the image of the Kirtimukha, on Java it Kala who decorates many candi's. In Tibetan Buddhism the Mahakala's are very likely to be reversions of the Destructive Aspect of the Cosmic Mother. The other strategy is to make them attractive to common people, like Kuan Yin in Buddhism and the Virgin Mary in Catholicism. Their duty is to function as a sop, deprived of their Original Power e.g. Ultimate Reality. It is striking how e.g. in the lives of Sri Ramakrishna and Bede Griffith (Christian/Hindu monk), both ardent devotees of the Mother, this aspect is time and again suppressed. However, the diversity of Hinduism allows local variations.There are sects/individuals (Sri Ramakrishna!) which worship(ed) Kali as the Universal Great Mother. While Kali is "officially" called the "consort of Shiva", the Reality is exactly opposite: Shiva is the Son/Lover of Kali.

See also: "Viva Java!", "Mahakala" and others

It is widely assumed that Taoism (like the Bön of Tibet) has its roots in prehistory. It makes its link to the ancient Great Mother likely. It seems thus more than logic that it "adopted" Xiwangmu as the primal Deity in its pantheon. The latter's connection to the Great Mothers of the Near East has a great chance to become widely recognized. Further study of similarities would be a good idea. Gates to common practices could be e.g. the occurence of many Goddesses, the use of similar instruments, like drums, cymbals, flutes and the phenomenon of eunuchs. The latter played an important role at the Chinese imperial court just like their "predecessors" in Anatolia (Kybele) and Mesopotamia (Ishtar)

Everybody accepts Lao Tzu as the founder of philosophical Taoism. Few realize that he was a representative of the old Mother Religion. His "Tao Te Ching" is a yearning for the "old times" in which everything was "still in harmony". Time and again the Tao is compared with the Emptiness of the Womb. It isn't sure what Lao Tze exactly meant by the "Tao" as Ultimate Reality. He certainly was devoted to Xiwangmu as MotherGoddess. Either the Tao is equal to the Cosmic Womb or the former is born out of the latter. Creation and Destruction may correspond to Yin and Yang.

See: "Mother China 4"

In Buddhism Enlightenment (Buddhahood) is the highest achievement. It is comparable to the "Divine" of mystical traditions in other religions. However, there is confusion about its own underlying principles. E.g. nowhere I have come across the insight that Enlightenment (Emptiness) is born out of Nirvana (Emptiness beyond Emptiness). So when it comes to the core of things even Buddhism is missing the point. To a religion that is based entirely on the Light as THE exclusive aim, it is crucial to have clarity about the Ultimate Reality. More so, because in Buddhism all religious and spiritual authority is based on it. The Buddha as the "Fully Enlightened One" has always the last word. Despite the fact, that Buddhism already very early has split in countless schools and sects, no-one is doubting the supremacy of Enlightenment e.g. Buddhahood, though. Even "Womb" or "Garbha" (Prajnaparamita Sutra) means just "Enlightenment". The gate toward a feminine interpretation of the Cosmos is thus hermetically locked. The veneration for Tara  hardly changes this. The positive aspect is that she is equal to the Buddha's which compared to the patriarchal background is considerable progress, indeed. However, She is a Goddess, and like so many other Goddesses she has been deprived of Her Original All-Embracing Primordial Womb Power. The consequence has been - although Goddesses being "very helpful" to (male!) Enlightenment - that the Feminine in (official) Buddhism is still very much suppressed. Only non-orthodox scriptures ("Pao-Chüan") have preserved the Eternal Truth. Here Maitreya Buddha is sent to earth by the Eternal Mother ("Wushenglaomu") in order to bring Her children back Home. One thing is certain: the next Buddha will be (is) a Servant to the Mother. It is the only hope for Buddhism to regenerate!

See: "Great Mother Buddhism". Read "The Women of Tibet" by Tsültrim Allione, Snow Lion Publications

Mani (Manicheism) was a religious genius. He "discovered" the two Cosmic Forces of Light and Darkness. His experience/observations come close to the Truth. Because, the main Cosmic Forces are indeed "Creation" and "Destruction". However, instead of seeing them as complementary opposites, together maintaining Cosmic Balance, he postulated a "perpetual battle" between the two. This disastrous dualism was picked up by Christianity portraying existence as the battle between "good" and "evil", "God" and the "world", "man" and "woman". What was missing in his concept was the Origin of "Creation" and "Destruction",. In Reality, they both originate from One Undivided Source: the Cosmic Womb. In fact you may call the existence being based on non-dualistic dualism. It is in this sense that I feel connected to Mani. He almost "got it". Despite its negative consequences, Mani to me is dear. His religion streched from Nothern Africa to China. After his death in prison! his religion died out with him. That was tragic too.

THE ORIGINAL TRADITION
of the
UNIVERSAL COSMIC MOTHER

The reason for decay of the existing "great" religions is first of all an incomplete understanding of the Ultimate Reality. It is the reason why their teachings don't satisfy anymore. Since we are all children of the Cosmos we all have a "Cosmic Memory" deep in ourselves. Deep down we know what is true and what not. E.g. the Son or the Daughter is born out of the Mother and not the other way round. Silly? Most religions are based on this and similar deniels. To transport basic human insights - so self-evident in daily life - into the spiritual realm proves to be difficult indeed. They seem "too deep" for us to get hold on. They are thus unreachable for most of us. Even after decades of "spiritual growth" many key issues are still puzzling e.g. raising confusion. My advice: go back to your original intuitions. It is these who are telling you the Truth.

I don't possess the Truth;
the Truth is possessing me

E.g. why we all have to die, regardless our merits or the absence of it? Hinduism and Manicheism are closest to the answers. Because "God" - the Eternal Light, the Divine, Buddhahood - isn't the only Reality in the Cosmos. There exists a "Force" that is opposite, yet complementary to "God". It is corresponding with "Creation and Destruction" or "Light and Darkness" as two polarities. Now, many of you will be electrified: "isn't this the old dualistic concept that ravaged our souls. The universe as a constant battle between "good" and "evil?" Especially in our days fundamentalists threaten people with the idea of the apokalypse. Is this similar? Well, I am very happy to be able to reassure you. Because my insights have nothing to do with "cosmic battles" at all. The fundamentalists only prove that partial truth driven by (a lot of) fear distorts Cosmic Reality. Creation and Destruction are not forces in the hands of a revengeful "God", but simply two major aspects of Natural Law to which we are all subjected. We may not like this, but that is another matter.

In order to keeping my promise I now have to tell you the complete story. It happened in 1977.* The outcome of these most unique Realization is the Cosmic Womb ("Mother") as the Ultimate Reality of both God (The Light, the Divine) and the universe. God isn't the "Father" but the "Son". Goddesses are Her Daughters. Enlightenment is NOT the Ultimate Reality, but is born out of the Bottomlessness of the Womb. In science the Womb is called the Cosmic Vacuum. The latter "giving birth" to the invisible Light ("Higgs Field"), the electro-magnetic waves, protons and the visible world as we know it. The Womb as birthgiver of both "God" and the universe runs perfectly parallel to this. For the first time in history science is confirming religion and vice-versa. It has brought everything back to Primordial Simplicity. Why? Because it is the TRUTH! Subsequently, in Her Bottomlessness the Mother is giving birth through no-effort (wu-wei) to the Eternal Light. This Light is the "carrier" of Creation. To use an image: Creation goes from the Center to the periphery. It is generating the life-force on which we all depend. It is causing the universe to expand.

* See "Threefold Realization"

Until the distance between Center and periphery becomes so wide, that creation cannot be maintained anymore. Matter is losing its energy. It is the turning-point where Creation turns into Destruction. Entropic matter coming under the spell of Gravity, as ths Destruction Force is usually called. It is the "way back" to the Depth of the Womb. It is the Womb ("Emptiness beyond Emptiness") which is the cause of Gravity. Now the direction is from the periphery toward the Center. Everything without exception is submitted to these Two Forces. Halfway our lives we start the way home. "Destruction" and "Creation" appear to be the necessary pre-condition for life as we know it, including every level. nature and vital forces, our psychology (happiness and depression), and the realm of spirituality, as well. By tuning in to Mother's Destructive Force all old, sick, evil, ugly and accumulated ego-"achievements" are sucked in. It is the underlying cause of current "decay". If you resist - by clinging to the ego - you will suffer, while cooperating - by "giving back your ego - you will be renewed. Because in Her Depth your True Self - the Divine Spark in you - is born. The Mother being THE regenerating Cause of the entire universe. Not surprisingly, that She has been venerated in all cultures as the "Cauldron of Abundance". During my travels I have seen Her Vessel symbol in all cultures, from Europe to Asia, from Meso to North America. The legendary Grail legend is based on it. All in all, it may dawn to you that for the first time in 2500 years the Original Truth has been revealed...... by the Cosmic Mother. She and only She brings Unity in Diversity, the pre-condition for liberation, inclusivity, peace, justice, community and sustainability. Patriarchal religions (all of them!) have been just an attempt, a build-up toward the Ultimate Truth. It is high time that this becomes acknowledged.

See also: "Nine Dimensions of Cosmic Realization"

It has its consequences for a possible future organization. First of all one should realize that in pre-patriarchal times there didn't exist "religions". Religions came into being through "founders", male persons who got a certain spiritual insight. This insight was translated into a creed. This creed became the foundation of an exclusive club of (male) persons. Exclusivity was claimed. It meant that a particular group claimed to be "in the possession of the truth". A pattern that has lasted for many millennia until this very day. Our initiative does NOT fit into that model. Yes, it also started with spiritual insight, yes, it is based on Divine Revelation. However, this Realization has not been "translated" into a certain creed. We do NOT identify with a set of rules we have to follow. We do NOT claim exclusivity at the expense of others. On the contrary, surrendering to the Cosmic Mother is the most natural state possible. It is based on the universal experience of being born out of a mother. Everybody is born from a mother! To claim exclusivity is therefore absurd. All religions originated from the Cosmic Mother, spiritually, historically, mythologically, scientifically.... Thus, no special "creed" is needed. The Mother is all-embracing, including all beliefs. Like an earthly mother loving her children equally. Therefore, we don't call our initiative a "religion" as it is commonly understood. The latter is typically a patriarchal phenomenon. The Original Tradition, on the other hand, is pre- and post-patriarchal. It is simply going back to the Origin - the Cosmic Mother - beyond all creeds, beliefs, dogma's - in order to become renewed, regenerated and healed.

The Core Mantra of the Original Tradition
"The Mother Heals"

The Womb is the Mystery. It ("She") is the embodiment of ever-lasting renewal. It is the Ultimate Reality in which the old is transformed into the new. Our Cosmic Mother Mandala is very close to the Truth, since it depicts the Ultimate Reality as Womb (black), giving birth to the Divine (white/yellow) and the universe (green). (see sideline). "Darkness precedes the Light" is written on the altar of the Salerno cathedral (when I was there they didn't want to show it to me...)."Holy Night" is what Christians sing at Christmas. "Their" "Mother of God" is clearly the most popular one, much more popular than Her Son. Her places of devotion - churches, chapels, monasteries - devoted to "Our Lady" ("Notre Dame") are everywhere. It is proof of the fact that the Mother is still the main Deity. In pre-Christian times She was called the "Cauldron of Abundance". The Grail legend is nothing but the quest for the Cosmic Womb, making everything green, while healing the wasteland. God (the Light, Buddhahood) is Her First Emanation. Absolute Emptiness and Fullness (Relative Emptiness) are thus two sides of the same coin. That's why mystics like John of the Cross could exclaim: "I see Light through Darkness". The latter is the Birthgiver of the former, though. The recognition of this fact puts everything back into the original order. Even to the mind this makes sense. Therefore, this insight is irreversible. It is so natural, simple and true, that once understood there isn't a way back anymore. Once it touches your innermost core, the longing for going back Home in order to become renewed, will not leave you. Her Bottomlessness (Nothingness) becomes your closest ally, for only THAT can destroy your ego. Joy, gratitude!

Those who long for the Origin are called
"Originals"

Nowadays the world is ruled by the one-dimensionality of the ego. Having has replaced Being. Everybody wants "to make a difference". Spirituality isn't a exception. On the contrary, spiritual Realization has become a commodity. Enlightenment as the "ultimate goal" only stirs ego-ambition. Even after the former is "attained", the underlying ego-tendency hasn't really disappeared. Sooner or later it returns. The danger is that it starts abusing Realization for its own purposes. Nowadays the traditional (Asian) approaches have no answer to this. In former days social/cultural conventions were curbing ego-excesses. In the West these mechanisms don't exist. Hence spirituality as a whole is decaying. It is therefore irresponsible to promote Enlightenment without FIRST taking care of breaking down the ego. First ego "death" and only then "rebirth", in this sequence. Who can deliver such an approach? Only Absolute Nothingness can. That what from earliest times has been called the "Cosmic Womb". Science calls it the Vacuum. Everything without exception is destroyed by "Her" while simultaneously being reborn. Hence, She is the only One Who can save the world. For "either the ego dies or the earth will die". That's why the Revelation e.g. Divine Intervention of the Cosmic Mother (1977) comes just in time*. Through giving our ego's back to Her Bottomlessness our True Self is born. Subsequently we become part of the Whole - "Heaven, earth and the (new) community" - once again. As a Servant to the Mother I will personally take the lead in this. My greatest longing is to connect myself to a worldwide Community of Originals.

* See: "Threefold Realization"

In practice The Original Tradition is built on three pillars. First you realize the dead end you are in. You have painfully experienced that your ego cannot liberate itself. Every effort to "letting go" only strengthens it. So you start longing for the Mother. This turning within is the spiritual/religious dimension (1). Once healed, once your True Self is born, you may become part of the Whole, once again. This starts with extending your compassion to your immediate surroundings e.g. your community. This part is the healing part (2). After a certain time of being involved in healing of yourself and others, the leap toward commitment to "Healing the Planet" can be made. Healing includes ecological awareness and action (3). The Original Tradition is thus a spiritual, healing and ecological initiative. It will immediately become clear to you that this is an absolute unique approach. By being connected to the Origin, the latter is constantly pouring Her Insights, Love and Power out to all Her devotees. You will become irresistable. Isn't that the quality we all long for? Furthermore, we achieve our goal through education. You may also call us an educational initiative. Our curriculum consists of Spiritual Service, Health Service, Community Service and Earth Service with the aim of guiding people on their Way toward Wholeness.  

Once the Mother descends into your innermost core it becomes clear that She is the All-Inclusive One. Her "motherly Love" connects all and everyone. The existing patriarchal religions are like Her sons. Sons who once rejected the Mother in order to claim authority for themselves. However, in modern times there is a return to the Divine Feminie making male claims doubtful, to say the least. Many people have started to discover traces of the Mother in their own traditions. It explains the renewed popularity of the Black Madonna's (Christianity), Tara (Buddhism), Amman (Tamil Hindu's), Xiwangmu (Taoism) and others. These Goddesses are all descendents of One Original Cosmic Mother. By making these connections more conscious a new foundation for interreligious tolerance, understanding and peace is being created. Through the Mother these goals have a chance to become realized. Because Motherly Love is unconditional, not hindered by differences, dogma's, scriptures, fanaticism etc. of male dominated beliefs. It is a great opening to a New World of Unity in Diversity. Therefore, the Original Tradition considers it as its responsibility to taking the lead. It does so through founding interreligious Cosmic Mother Healing Shrines and the Universal Mother Council. All beliefs and denominations are welcome. Their own (Mother)Goddesses will be very much respected e.g. celebrated in an atmosphere of sister and brotherhood. We are all Mother's children! 

See: "Cosmic Mother Healing Shrines" and "Universal Mother Council"

SUMMARY

What is striking is that most of the current main religions are founded on the concept of "God" as Ultimate Reality (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). The way they define "God" originates from mystics of all times and is authentic. God is indeed limitless, undefinable, all-knowing etc. It is equal to modern awareness of the Great Consciousness or Cosmic Intelligence. The key concept of Buddhism, Jainism and Taoism comes very close to it, for e.g. Buddhahood has the same transcendental qualities. Although "theoretically" assuming "Emptiness beyond Emptiness" (Nirvana) as Ultimate Reality, in practice this has only caused confusion. Most texts just mix up Enlightenment with Nirvana and vice versa. All religions mentioned above claim exclusivity for (their) God and God in general. Apart from God there is nothing (they say). However, God (Buddhahood) is NOT the Ultimate. On the contrary "he" (It) is part of a polarity. Both "Creation" and "Destruction" originate from One Bottomless Source: the Cosmic Womb or Vacuum. It changes our common God-concept, our religions and world-view with profound consequences for all levels of existence...

Hinduism assumes that there are three main Gods (and ten thousands of other forms of the Gods). Manicheism goes a step "further" by stating that there are two equal but opposing Cosmic Forces: that of Light and Darkness. This is called dualism. Gnosis is most daring by saying that the Creator God is not the Real God. Some texts even speak about a "Mother" who has given birth to Her Son/God. The speculative part of its statements is quite considerable. Just like some Hindu's assumes a Mother as birthgiver of the Trimurti (the three Gods). The Tao of Taoism originally had a strong tradition which paid reverence to the Great Mother (Xiwangmu). Nowadays some authors assume the Tao of Lao Tze to be the Cosmic Womb. They may very well be right. Later Taoism became very patriarchal, hardly to avoid with Confucianism and Buddhism as the two main religious forces in China. The conclusion of this all: in 2500 years of male-dominated religion no-one was able to present a true, authentic and full picture of the Ultimate Reality. At best partial truths were put forward each claiming to represent the total Truth. It is one of the explanations for their downfall, for nowadays people have access to a multitude of sources through which the exclusivity of one particular tradition cannot maintained anymore.

The longing of mankind is towards the Truth. It is NOT so that we are weary of spirituality and religion. Everyday practice shows a different picture. People are searching, but cannot find the "Real Thing". "Something" that gives convincing answers to their questions. They are searching for God as a Living Reality that corresponds with the wisdom every human has in his or her deepest core. It starts with realizing that every concept, image or idea is not IT. Many people have had experiences in which "suddenly" everything dropped off. What was left is something beyond words and definitions. At the same time you know from within that this is Real. The more undefinable.... the more it corresponds with deep knowing. The definition of "God" as given by major religions is usually a different one. It doesn't give answer to very urgent questions. But one very important question remains: if this (very joyful) experience is Divine - e.g. corresponding with the God of Love of Christianity - where do suffering, illness, misfortune and death come from?

Most religions then talk about ego, sin and karma. And there is a great truth in it. By identifying (unconsciously) with your self-image, making yourself the "center of the universe" suffering will be your "fate". But as everybody knows, there are lots of people who suffer who have not accumulated karma a lot. Many faithful God-believers are struck by misfortune. Yes, entire communities and peoples increasingly experience disaster. And what about nature? A tree has no ego, but like other creatures he gets sick and dies one day. Also a matter of consequence of his own (sinful) deeds? Of course not. No, the reality tells us that sickness, decay and death are simply the ingredients of life. We are all subjected to an invisible Law that rules "life, death and rebirth". Those who believe in a exclusively "benevolent" God, especially if this God is also a "personal" one, then you are in trouble. The common God concept doesn't help people to understand the key issues of life! It is even worse. Most religions (even Buddhism) are threatening with heavenly punishments for those who do not live according to God's commands. These commands, of course, as interpreted by priests, popes, rabbi's, ministers, monks, lama's and mullah's....

JAI MATA DI!
(May the Mother prevail)

Han Marie Stiekema
Universal Teacher thanks to the Great Mother, Who granted him All Eight/Nine Dimensions of Cosmic Realization

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